Hidden Barn Perfect Harmony Madeira Finished Bourbon Review

Hidden Barn Perfect Harmony
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Finished In Madeira Casks
Neeley Family Distillery
99.9 Proof
MSRP: $89.99
Review

Please enjoy our Hidden Barn Perfect Harmony Madeira Cask Finished Bourbon Review!

“Master Distiller Royce Neeley and Master Blender Jackie Zykan named this year’s release Perfect Harmony, due to the balance between the bourbon and the residual Madeira left in the oak barrel.”

The Details

Hidden Barn Perfect Harmony Madeira Finished Bourbon was distilled using Neeley Family Distillery’s flagship bourbon mash bill of 70 percent corn, 20 percent rye and 10 percent malted barley. It was then aged for six years. Following the initially maturation, the bourbon was transferred to first-use Madeira barrels, where it aged for an additional seven months. The eight barrel blend was then open-air vatted for several days, allowing oxidation to occur. Finally, Perfect Harmony was bottled at 99.9 proof.

Tasting Notes – Hidden Barn Perfect Harmony Madeira Finished Bourbon Review

Let’s taste it:

🛏 Rested for 15 minutes in a Glencairn

👉🏻Nose: Mildly sweet; red wine notes with ripe plums & dark grapes; fresh bread dough; mild rye spices; mild dry oak; raisins; alcohol vapor appropriate for the proof
👉🏻Taste: Mildly sweet simple syrup, dark grapes, light caramel, sweet raisins, mild tannins, mild dry oak
👉🏻Finish: Increasingly dry; tannic red wine and moderate lasting capsaicin spice; mild dry oak; long; pleasant warmth

The nose of Hidden Barn Perfect Harmony Madeira Finished Bourbon has a mildly sweet red wine character, with dark ripe plums and dark grapes. There’s a background of fresh bread dough, which becomes more evident with each sip, along with a handful of raisins, too. Contrasting flavors of mild rye spices and dry oak, round out the complex profile. The alcohol vapor is appropriate for the proof.

The taste is mildly sweet, with simple syrup, sweet raisins, light caramel and dark grapes, but also some tannins and dry oak. The finish brings moderate and long lasting capsaicin spice, and the character overall becomes more dry, with tannic red wine and dry oak. The spice, red wine, tannins and mild dry oak linger for quite a long time, and are coupled with a pleasant warmth.

A Pleasant Surprise

I remember when I originally tasted the first batch of Madeira Finished Hidden Barn Bourbon. It was at the Kentucky Bourbon Festival a couple of years back. I was hesitant to try it as I am generally not much of a red wine finished bourbon fan, and I was having trouble picturing how the flavors of the wine would mix with Hidden Barn Bourbon’s flavors. However, a friend insisted that it was very good, so I hesitantly tried it. And, to my surprise, I loved it and have been a fan ever since.

So, this time, I was no longer hesitant about the Madeira Finished Hidden Barn Bourbon. In fact, I was quite looking forward to trying it. The effect the Madeira barrels have on this bourbon is quite interesting to me. The wine notes are definitely present throughout. However, they don’t exactly combine with the bourbon’s flavors in the way that I had initially expected. As Neeley Family Distillery bourbons generally have sweet rich flavors as would be characteristic of a well-made pot still bourbon, my original fear was that the Madeira finish would accentuate the sweetness, and push it over the top. Yet, the effect is the opposite; the sweetness is actually toned down a bit, and some tannins are brought out from this generally otherwise relatively sweet wine.

Conclusion – Hidden Barn Perfect Harmony Madeira Cask Finished Bourbon Review

I am a big fan of this bourbon. Hidden Barn Madeira Finished Bourbon went from something that I originally wasn’t even going to try, to one of my favorite Hidden Barn expressions. This bourbon is a “Perfect Harmony” indeed. If you enjoy bourbon with a red wine finish, this is definitely one for you. However, if you’re not a red wine finish fan, it could also appeal to you, too. So give it a try. You’ve got nothing to lose, and possibly a new favorite bourbon to gain!

Have you tried Hidden Barn Perfect Harmony Madeira Cask Finished Bourbon? What did you think? Cheers!🥃

I hope you have enjoyed our Hidden Barn Perfect Harmony Madeira Finish Bourbon Review! If you would like to learn more about the distillery, then read our Neeley Family Distillery Tour Review! To learn about another Hidden Barn Bourbon, check out our Hidden Barn Slow Fade Bourbon Review.

Note: This sample was graciously provided by the distillery for my review.

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